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Technology Stocks : KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLAC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Math Junkie who wrote (1426)	7/3/1999 3:34:00 PM
From: bob bell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1779

Isn't it weird that this stock might reach an all time high and no one on SI seems to care. Vacations? 4th of July weekend? What? Bob

To: Math Junkie who wrote (1426)	7/16/1999 4:48:00 PM
From: Math Junkie	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1779

KLA-TENCOR INTRODUCES REAL-TIME CLASSIFICATION SOFTWARE New automated defect classification software lowers inspection cost of ownership, while reducing the time from yield excursion to actionable data SAN JOSE, Calif., JULY 13, 1999-KLA-Tencor Corp. (Nasdaq: KLAC) today introduced its new Real-Time Classification (RTC) software, which helps device manufacturers reduce the time it takes to detect process excursions that affect yields. RTC is an extension of KLA-Tencor's current technology that enables defect classification in real-time. It provides preliminary defect classification during the inspection process, optimizing the defect sample that is sent to high resolution defect classification (HRDC) or SEM review, thereby making the overall defect classification process more efficient. "Our introduction of RTC has effectively 'raised the bar' in this technology in terms of the reliability and value of real-time ADC data for our customers. With a level of granularity and yield-relevance that is a step function higher than any competing technology, RTC will limit the number of wafers at risk and help increase yield, thus improving cost of ownership and profitability," said Dave Bakker, KLA-Tencor's automatic defect classification marketing director. "Using a flexible classification scheme with custom defect classes, the system can be trained to identify new defects. This ability is particularly vital in new process areas such as copper, where the new materials and processes involved have introduced the need to trend new defect types at various layers." KLA-Tencor's new RTC software is a subset of the company's IMPACT? automated defect classification (ADC) software for in-line monitoring. With an installed base of more than 200 systems across the top 20 semiconductor manufacturers, IMPACT has become the industry-standard ADC system. RTC uses the same basic software engine as IMPACT's HRDC with one significant difference-no through-put hit. RTC resides on the inspection tool and performs real-time excursion control monitoring during the inspection run time. As a result, semiconductor manufacturers will realize tremendous time and cost savings by eliminating nuisance defects that might otherwise have been sent to HRDC or SEM review. Various classification schemes have been developed to classify defects while the wafer is being inspected. The effectiveness of such schemes is limited by their dependence on pre-set categories, or fixed classification bins, into which defects are sorted-bins that may have little correlation to the actual defects being identified by the inspection process at a given process layer. Only RTC offers the flexibility to customize defect classes to reflect the real layer-by-layer yield concerns of a particular fab. RTC software can reside on either brightfield-based in-line monitoring (ILM) systems, such as KLA-Tencor's 2139, or darkfield-based process tool monitoring systems such as the AIT II. It takes the defect data collected and categorizes each defect into a particular custom class. Nuisance defects, including metal film grains, are sorted into a nuisance bin and can be ignored. Defects that fall into "killer" bins can be tracked for yield-relevant excursions. RTC's filtering capability makes it possible to run the inspection tool at the highest sensitivity mode without being overwhelmed by nuisance defects. This enables the capture of small yield-relevant defects associated with sub-0.25 micron geometries. This new classification software is currently in beta and will be available in volume in early 2000. About KLA-Tencor: KLA-Tencor is the world leader in yield management and process control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing and related industries. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the company has sales and service offices around the world. An S&P 500 company, KLA-Tencor is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol KLAC. Additional information about the company is available on the Internet at www.kla-tencor.com ###